Mother, visually impaired daughter celebrate admirable results on same day

AMMAN — The 18-year old visually impaired student Malak Al Jedan on Friday celebrated an admirable 94.1 average in this year's Tawjihi session, coinciding with her mother's celebration of obtaining her bachelor's degree from university.

"We wanted to prove that difficult circumstances can actually be a motivation for pushing and working harder," Jedan told The Jordan Times on Saturday, stressing that nothing can beat patience and dedication towards excelling and pursuing education.

Fayza Adqian, Jedan's mother, said that the family moved from their governorate to Amman to ensure that their two visually impaired daughters would have better special education opportunities.

"I used to work in my daughters' school in Amman as a bus supervisor to help my husband offer a decent life for our children in this new city," the mother recalled, adding, "I then felt motivated to improve my career, so I applied to the Tawjihi again after a 20-year-long drop off."

After obtaining her General Secondary Education Examination Certificate (Tawjihi), Fayza simultaneously continued working, studying at the university, and taking care of her two daughters.

"My mother was a major source of strength and inspiration," daughter said, adding that her mother used to help her in studying and revising any material that is not available in Braille version.

Malak received her education at the Royal Academy for Blind — Abdullah Ibn Um Maktum, where she said she received great assistance and support from the teachers and staff in addition to Braille versions of all school books.

After her outstanding results in the first semester, the charity organisation "Maa Al Samaa" offered the young student a Braille device worth JD5,000, which was handed by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz during his time as education minister, in appreciation of her efforts at school.

The young student also voiced appreciation to her friend Taqwa Melkawi, a visually impaired student as well, who achieved 98 per cent average in last year's Tawjihi session, noting that Melkawi was a role model from whom she learnt determination.